Agencies good or bad?

The Grad Vote in the last issue found 86% had had bad experiences with agencies. The arguments comtinue.

AGAINST

Martin C has experiences that match those of our previous corresondents.

I am a Master's level graduate who has been looking for a suitable serious role for a couple of years. I've had no luck finding a job in the right area with genuine prospects. In the last year or so, I've been focusing some of my time on joining job agencies and preparing lots of profiles and CVs for them, but you are the only service so far that has actually given me any help at all!

One service, which you advertise in your publications admitted that they don't really cover my geographical area or particularly my key career interests. Others, I think have simply not bothered to help me at all.

I have come to believe that most agencies are concentrating on filling the many sales and administration roles. It requires more effort to match someone like me with a high level of education and specific career interests, so I think they just don't bother!

One of the better known recruitment agencies actually sent me a message saying a recruitment consultant would be in touch shortly. I was impressed with the service and seemingly genuine indication that someone - a real person- was actually going to take it upon themselves to help me rather than leave it to computer matching systems or my own further research! I'm still waiting many months on and I'm not optimistic.

I am confident that, if I can connect with the right kinds of opportunities and potential roles, I can become a valuable asset. Unfortunately, that kind of opportunity has not yet arrived. I'm certainly not holding my breath for the job agencies.

FOR (SORT OF)

Allison Watson, Legal Recruitment Consultant for the The Legal Panel, has some tips about how to use agencies.

I really do have a lot of sympathy for graduates – believe me we have all been there. As a BA graduate of History from Trinity College, Dublin I felt very limited in my options and frustrated as to what possibilities there were. It is easy to send your details to an agency and expect them to find you the ideal job.

However, from a recruiters’ point of view, let me make a few points. Firstly, we aren’t the bad guys. We have the same difficulty with companies and sadly no amount of cajoling, pleading or reasoning will see a company take a graduate over someone with experience – no matter how brilliant a degree. Secondly, graduate programmes are there for you and you need to use them correctly. All of the big firms offer there own programmes and I believe it is essential that graduates apply directly. Why would a firm want to pay an agency fee when there are thousands of graduates available who apply directly? You need to do your own work for you.

All that said, there is absolutely no call for agencies to be rude to graduates or to lie. It is far too common in this profession and it really is disgusting and unfair behaviour. I have a lot of applications from graduates and commonly I will tell them straight up that there is nothing I can do for them.

However, if an agency is really worth there salt, they will try to advise – as I do, all of the candidates what there best option is, what routes they should take to apply for roles and perhaps give them a few pointers on CV and application processes. As a consultancy, we feel that we have to live up to the name and perhaps therein lies the difference. If you feel that the agency is not working in your best interest, withdraw your details from that agency.

Finally, everyone has to start at the bottom. There is no dream role which you can walk into and earn a fortune without experience. No one wants to work a solely administrative job and I appreciate the frustration of the catch 22: no experience-no job, no job-no experience, having worked as an administrator myself.

The best advice I can give is to gain as much practical experience in a good company throughout college – this will give you both contacts and relevant experience on your CV. Don’t limit your options. If the agency gives you a role, consider it before dismissing it out of hand in disgust that you are not receiving management level offers.

If you consider all options, you will see that there are alternative routes and perhaps you might find the ideal job is not on the narrow path you had only considered. Ask around, ask for advice and do some of your own work. All you need is a foot in the door, and six months’ experience in a junior role (while you look for something better) is always better then none at all.

Recruiters should be there to help you. We have inside market information. We can help with CV and interview preparation. We deal with HR all the time so we will send them the best person for the job. It is in our interest to be as honest and upfront as possible – filling our ‘quota’ is utterly pointless if someone is unhappy in their new role and walks out of it.

As a consultancy, our main source of candidates comes from referrals. Ask your agency how they work and find someone you trust. And if you still feel they are rude – by all means let them know. I very much agree that some of the industry could do with a wake up.

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